In 1863, the Civil War came to the Combahee River in the form of abolitionist Harriet Tubman

By WAYNE WASHINGTON

RURAL BEAUFORT COUNTY — Archeologists have unearthed artifacts they believe pinpoint the location of a Combahee River ferry crossing used in a Civil War raid led by legendary abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

The 1863 Union army raid, which freed more than 700 slaves from plantations in Colleton and Beaufort counties, is widely considered the first in U.S. history to be led by a woman. It cemented Tubman’s legend as a daring and courageous emancipator, and it bolstered Union forces in the Palmetto State.